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Let me rephrase: How are you planning on living during the death of today?

I’m sure you’ve heard that we are never promised tomorrow– or even our next breath.

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.– Jas 4:14

Sure, we may do what we can to prevent a physical death, but have you ever thought about how constantly our days die?

We may try to “make up for it” the next day, what we didn’t do that day, but really… It doesn’t take away the fact that our yesterday is gone & we did not spend our 12,088th day of being alive (for example) to its fullest advantage.

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
– Ep 5:15-16

Maybe, instead of counting our lives in years, we should count them in days. It may help us to cherish our individual days/ moments more.

I’ll never get back that 12,087th day of being alive…

But, the question we have to ask ourselves is: “Did I die well today?” And, “How do I want to spend my 12,088th day of dying?”

(I feel like if we ask, “Did I live well,” it causes us to think moreso that we will be alive for a personal, predetermined amount of time. However, we never know when what day/moment will be our last, whether it be in 8 minutes, 8 months, 8 years or 80 years.)

A certain martial arts class I was in taught me to think: “Today is a good day to die.” But I want to think of it in a different way: Not as some final time/ date when our spirits leave our physical bodies, but as right now– everyday– since our todays are always passing away.

So… Did we die well?

We are either growing or dying (in all areas of life). Once we reach a certain age (in our twenties), we are no longer officially “growing.” The remainder of our lives is trying to hang on to what we currently have and sustaining it as best as possible. But we are still physically dying. (Mental & spiritual growth are different & still possible, however.)

I’m no expert in telling you how the best way to live/die is. I am still learning too. But I do know that it involves doing our best in the current moments we are given, and to always keep the eternal in the forefront of our minds. Appreciate each day… “Don’t Procrastinate”, is so cliche, so here’s a geeky anime quote instead. 😉

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you should do today.” (“Follow Your Dream” song, from “Project A-Ko”)

Store up treasures in Heaven than on Earth.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Gallery updates and such from my Instagram posts! I still have more to do though, lol.

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“What if Judas never killed himself?”

I wonder: would he have repented– let his godly sorrow take over– and attempted to join their other apostles again? Would they have forgiven and accept him back?

If they (eventually) trusted someone like Paul/Saul, Judas would have stood a chance too… Right?

I wonder what kind of an apostle he’d be. He’d be known as the man who actually put Jesus to death on the cross, by betraying him– his friend. He’d be reminded day after day, and even probably be labeled a hypocrite, as to why he’s preaching about Jesus when he was up close and personal with him, and yet, still didn’t follow him. What else would it really take for someone to love Jesus? Unless he completely repented, he would still feel wordly guilt every day, while reaching out…

However… We all actually put Jesus on the cross. Jesus died for the people like Judas too… He didn’t come/die to help the “good people” (of which there are none). He came to save the halpless sinners, just like you and I– the people who can’t help but to sin even when we want to do good.

Satan entered Judas that night. But he also allowed Satan to control him. Things just had to happen that way, or we wouldn’t be who we are today. We would not have stood a chance at heaven on our own. It was still God’s plan. Judas did still have a chance to repent, however. Unfortunately, he chose the wordly sorrow route and hung himself. But I’m sure God would still had compassion on him, even after he did it (if he truly repented). Jesus even called Judas his friend during all of this.

Jesus would have forgiven Judas… If only he would have forgiven himself.

Jesus died for everyone.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

… How we always feel self-righteous, correct and justified in our current behavior? However, when we look back at our past, and get a glimpse at how we thought back then, we can (hopefully) say to some extent, “Wow, what was I thinking back then?” …Even though we felt right and justified at that time, too. But, hopefully, you can see how much you’ve grown and learned from those experiences as well.

Just take it as a possibility that we may also be wrong in our current situations (in how were acting or behaving). In 15 years, what we are doing right now could be a new instance of “What was I thinking?” for our future selves.

Therefore, always be open to learning. Correction and personal evolvement is how we grow.

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Just trying a new look out on the site (mostly just the initial landing page). 🙂 www.rejenasmiley.com

How do you like it? I mean, I hadn’t changed it much since 2011, lol, so I felt like it needed a change. Plus, the old one was inspired by someone else, so I wanted this front page format to be more attuned to what works for me, individually. I felt silly to keep updating here, as well as on the site AND FB, Instragram, etc, sooo…

Hopefully, it works out. I am also hoping that this helps me want to update more. We’ll see, haha! But I DO need to get back into drawing more; and moreso, perhaps more short stories too?~

Some good news! I have some perspective local comic book shops which are interested in selling my work! So there’s that. 😀 We’ll see what happens!

Sooo many inspiring artists I’ve seen, lately. I think I’d just been in an art funk because I didn’t know how to integrate my spiritual life into my comics. I kept feeling like me, doing art, was always for selfish ambition purposes. I am working more on how to find the right balance in my mind, because… I still do want to do comics for a living. Perhaps I’m just afraid of the unknown?… It’s very possible, indeed. Balance is the key to everything.

I’ll leave you with some Ecclesiastes verses:

Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 (NIV)

16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?

18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

Ecclesiastes 3 (NIV)

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,a time to plant and a time to uproot,3 a time to kill and a time to heal,a time to tear down and a time to build,4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,a time to mourn and a time to dance,5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,6 a time to search and a time to give up,a time to keep and a time to throw away,7 a time to tear and a time to mend,a time to be silent and a time to speak,8 a time to love and a time to hate,a time for war and a time for peace.

Like this:

Healing wounds can be so itchy! While it takes the upmost resistance to scratch, doing so is the best method to continue the healing process. It is so easy to accidentally scratch the wounded area too hard and open up the skin to bacteria again.

Thinking about this spiritually: it can be easy to try and interrupt God’s healing of your heart. But no matter the temptation, reach for the spiritual itch/germ ointment– or simply patient endurance– instead of the harsh workings of your hands. You may think scratching the itch is beneficial, but it’s only provides temporarily relief. Sometimes scratching even makes the itch more itchy! So, just leave it alone and let God heal your wounds with your most “hands off” approach.

If you are going to “help” at all, help to prevent any new germs from entering your body!

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“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” ~Phil 1:6

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” ~ Phil 2:12-15

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” ~ James 5:14-15

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” ~ James 5:16

Heya! I just wanted to, again, thank the lovely DBZchick for her awesome generosity in giving me (and another person, at that) a one-year sub on DA!! ❤ ❤ ❤ Isn’t she just so nice? ♥ (I know she wasn’t looking for so much public praise in return, but I can’t help it XD). It’s not an obligation; it’s of my own free will though, therefore it’s more significant!!… Right? :0 RIGHT! XD XD… Annywayyysss… lolz.

I’ve been an interesting person in the last few months… er… more like a year… or so…

That is an understatement for being so upside-down and backwards in my thinking that I was even amusing myself with my own destructive thoughts… XD There, that’s more accurate, lol…

SO, I can give you a quick run-down (if you care to read this; I just need to get out a personal declaration of a sort). Btw, before I begin, I just finished The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (as an audiobook). It was really good, but, very sad! Though, I think I needed to read it.

As a story-writer, I can kind of understand this too:

“18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?” ~Romans 9: 18-22

I was feeling very bitter and angry toward God, and just my surroundings in general (I hated people and myself, among other things…). “Why am I in this position?” I thought. “Why does nothing ever seem to go right?” But then, I kind of reflected upon my past thoughts in the last year or so.

I’d become very idolatrous.

This means that I’ve been “worshiping” idols– things, people, places, anything else– instead of the one, true God. Now, now, if you are going to retort back to me in your disbelief, please either 1.) Keep it to yourself. 2.) Let me know how you feel, though don’t expect to convince me.

I will now continue.

When there is something that I know I should be doing and do not do it, it comes back to haunt me. Anything, from drawing something I should be drawing, or helping someone in need, or even thinking a certain way I know I should–but don’t– think… it always catches up with me. (James 4:17) And in this past year of reflection, I’ve finally figured out why. Call it karma if you want; whatever it is, I call it divine retribution, or rebuking. There is only so much you can do before it comes back to haunt you. If you’ve realized your mistakes, and don’t take the time to correct it, it will be even worse than if you didn’t realize it and were punished for it. (Luke 12:47-48) All in all, I knew that something was wrong; I knew I was idolizing things, but it never occurred to me how to change it, or that I needed to seek help. I thought it would go away all on its own. Not only that, I did not realize the depth of idol worship that I had been doing. I had become blinded by what I believed my idols would do for me– what I THOUGHT would make me “happy” once I got them. But, boy, was I fooled.

“Nana…how come being happy and making your dreams come true are two different things? Even now, I still don’t know why…” ~Nana Komatsu (Nana manga)

I feel like I’m beginning to understand it now… I don’t totally get it, but I’m beginning to understand.

They are just empty promises; promises grounded on sand rather than solid ground; promises that can break and shatter at any moment. Who ever promises that, with wealth, brings everlasting freedom, or that no one can ever take it away? Who ever promises that your “love”– that you devoted your entire life and heart to– will never fade into nothingness? How can we build our faith and happiness on our dreams, after all? Who says (for example), that even if I did sell a million comics (hypothetically), that I couldn’t lose as many fans that I’d gained just as quickly? You see it happening all around you, right? Stars and celebrities (even internet celebrities) that gain fame and lose it just as quickly– if not, quicker– than how they’ve obtained it. People driving themselves into starvation for the purpose of composing the “right” body image, and going mad when they find that it’s unattainable, unless by developing a permanent sickly status. (Well, eventually, you won’t be sickly. You will be dead.)

But isn’t that just like anything else though? Eventually, our cravings for these temporary, replaceable pleasures will only starve us, always leaving us wanting more, more MORE. It never satisfies; it never COMPLETELY takes away our unhappiness. In the dead of the night, in the minutes before breathing your last breath, will the worries of those even matter in the end? What will truly matter to you then? What you wore to your homecoming? What you ate for breakfast before ‘that’ big day? What dates you went on? Those– used to be believed– “unrecoverable” bad days you used to have?

Life goes on, doesn’t it…? What should really matter? What about saying what you want to say; the stories that YOU want to say– despite the wanted recognition and/or monetary result that you want? What about helping to improve the life of another person? What about loving someone– your family, a stranger, your friends– here and now? What will really matter? (Loving God and others, of course!)

I know that people who don’t believe in God– or anything ‘solid’ and unchanging for that matter (except ‘change’, itself) will not understand, nor try to. Don’t worry; I do understand where you may be coming from. (I will never be able to completely understand, but I can see why you would not believe.) After all, people have been distorting God’s words in the bible, and using it for their own selfish purposes for years and years. The distortion is inevitable. However, we have the free will to choose what we want to believe. You wouldn’t want someone to love you out of compulsion anyway, would you? But I also believe in the basic facts and principles about this world.

Especially when I see this world in such chaos, it is very unsettling to think that God is just “letting” this happen. But, then again, I think about people’s free wills. If we didn’t have them, we would just be robots. WE have the choice to make the world a better, more richer place, OR we also have the choice to make it into a destructive, suicidal place. The choice is indeed ours, but we need to ACTIVELY EXERCISE the GOOD in us in order to rule out/even out the BAD in others. There is NO way to erase the darkness in the world without lighting a light. You can’t battle darkness with darkness!

Anyway… I will just say that in these unstable times, it truly is God who never changes. God is my rock. But how do I know? Maybe you think it’s because I’m crazy? Maybe you think it’s very stupid to believe in something/someone that is invisible (in the normal way we see anybody, anyway). But since everything we CAN see is temporary (just name it), I’d like to believe that what we cannot see is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Faith is called faith for a reason though. Blind faith, I do not believe. I need reasons. But I see them when my eyes and ears are open to them. (Matthew 13:11-17) Otherwise, I feel the world is a dreadful, unhappy place. Again, we have a choice– to see the world in darkness or to see the world in light. If parts ARE dark, what will you do? Sit there and moan or mope about it? Or will you let your light shine onto it? If it is light, will you expose your own personal darkness onto it, thereby inevitably affecting someone else by your negative shadowed world? It is your choice.

Before I finish, I just want to say thank you to DBZchick again for her gift of generosity. I was feeling very down. Ready to give up; not really minding if I had died (Would anything be different for me then? But I would never commit suicide since I knew God does not like murderers…); but then someone’s light affected me. The simplest acts of kindness can often go unnoticed (by people), but even so, it can make a huge difference in the world. No matter what we do– whether it’s good or bad, the world will feel your light or darkness. It DOES affect everyone else, no matter how much of a small island you want to live on. It will not go unnoticed forever. If EVERYONE decided to constantly commit acts of kindness, how do you think the world would look? So I/we need to stop blaming God for “letting this happen”. WE are letting this happen!!

So if you DO want the world to become a better place, it’s about time to see what you can do to light it up, right? For every act of evil in the world, perhaps do an act of kindness. God does work many wonders THROUGH us too. We have a spirit with a conscience. In this bleak and dark-ridden world, it will remind people that there is “some good in this world, after all.” 🙂 And, boy, do we all need reminders…! 🙂

I was rather giddy after discovering that “The Magic School Bus” was on netflix now… lol (yes, I loved it as a kid!)
With my niece and nephew, we’ve almost watched the whole series now! Aw… to be a kid again. (It is a bit cornier than I remember, but, hey; it’s still awesome!!… I wonder what happened to their voice actors.actresses?…
P.S. If you ever want to read something very stupid, check out my Magic School Bus story/comic XDDD “Ten Years Later”, LOL.
One of my first fandoms, as you can see… ._. (my other was Pokémon, in middle school… :^o )
I still ship Mr. Seedplot and Ms. Frizzle. 😮 Oh yeah, bby. (LOL… moving on.)

Just started watching the “Boys Over Flowers” Korean Drama… It’s… interesting… I’m glad they included the ‘important parts’ to the story, but they sure did change a lot… Guess I’m comparing it to the manga too much?… I can hardly compare it to the Japanese drama since it’s been forever since I’ve seen it… but yeah. 😮 lol.

I also saw “The Prince of Egypt” recently! It was really good! Why didn’t you guys warn me on how emotional it was? (/hicsob) lol, well, despite the historical/Biblical inaccuracies… it was still pretty good!! I cried a bunch of times, but not at the end…XD Hmm…

Another movie I saw was the TLC movie… I do love TLC! ._. It was very sad… another movie I was an emotional mess over… I also ordered the Left-Eye DVD about her journeys in Honduras. Gah, I’m gonna definitely cry when I watch that too… D:

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Oh, besides watching stuff, I’ve also drawn a bunch too XD But I can’t show ya, of course… (at least, not right now…) They’re for The Hawaii Star Manga Project… Which is supposed to come out sometime in 2014!… But I’m trying to get a head start XD (Don’t wanna overwhelm myself too much.) Plus, I have a lot more giftarts, commissions and fanmangas to get to finishing!
I’m wondering if I should redo one of my old comics again?… Maybe the NKTR prelude thingie? (But how many times have I rewritten it already? =_= lol (lots of times.) Anyways…. that’s another story, lols.)